Q. Were you surprised by Clemson coach Tommy Bowden's resignation, and how about Tennessee's Phil Fulmer? Is North Carolina safe with Butch Davis? Do you think DeVonte Holloman did the right thing?

Was I surprised Tommy Bowden resigned at Clemson? No. But I was surprised it was done in October. I thought he might finish out the year. Bottom line, he hasn’t won enough big games and this year, a season when Clemson was supposed to be in the hunt for a national championship. Now is UNC safe with Butch Davis? If Phil Fulmer is gone from Tennessee maybe not, but I think Davis has more of a chance to win at UNC than with Tennessee, where he’ll have to deal with Florida and Georgia and potentially LSU in an SEC Championship game. He can win the ACC title and get to a BCS easier at UNC and maybe even a national title game. As for DeVonte Holloman, I think he made the right decision for him. I think he loved Clemson but wasn’t sure about what would happen with a new coach and a new system. So he’ll look around.

Q. What is going on with Mallard Creek and Vance?

Mallard Creek principal Kit Rea said she disciplined three students who were involved in the incident, which was reported to her by Vance principal Phil Cauthen. There’s no place for vandalism in athletics. We should play the games, pull for our schools and keep it clean. If you want to paint something, let’s paint the school rock.

Q. Why is everyone going crazy because Jessica Simpson sang at the race?

I’m the wrong person to ask. I don’t get the whole Jessica Simpson thing. I guess it’s the celebrity thing.

Q. Who do you like in the Butler-East Mecklenburg game this week?

For our picks this week, I chose Butler. But these games tend to be close. Butler won 42-20 four years ago, but the past three have been decided by all of five points. East Meck has the best defense in town, but the Eagles cannot score as well as Butler. So if Butler quarterback Christian LeMay gets off to a good start, his running backs should have lanes and Butler should score at least 24 points. I don’t think East Meck can score that many right now on Butler. So I’ll go Butler 24, East Meck 20.

Q. Who do you like in the Charlotte Country Day-Charlotte Christian game?

Country Day is coming off a big win against Crest and Christian lost a little momentum in losing 28-21 to Northern Guilford, but the Knights are going for three straight over the Bucs. I think both teams are hungry. Country Day, used to winning state title games every year, hasn’t won one in four years and didn’t make the finals last year. Christian has never won a NCISAA championship. Who do I like? When the teams are even, like I think these are, you pick the home team. So I’ll go Country Day. And remember, the winner could be hosting a state title game next month, if there’s a rematch, so this one is extra large.

How low can you go to use the purity and innocence of high school football and especially children to try to attempt to rehabilitate the thuggish behavior of little man Steve Smith? This stoops to new levels and hard to believe a newspaper of quality and integrity like the Observer would promote such as this. Smith is the epitomy worst of role models for youth and its is shameful for the Observer to use good poor kids for devious purposes as this multi-millionaire pampered spoiled rotten little punk who throws his fits and temper tantrums so often bringing national and international attention to reduce the pro game and the team. Shame on you Charlotte Observer. Millionaire little man Smith needs no help.

We have Sikh Hindu friends insulted by the mockery of their religion when Garinger won. Their kids go to school there. We are referring to the highly insulting insensitive "Holy Cow" remark originated by anti-Hindu bigots since cows are holy and sacred in India and in the Hindu faith. Please be more sensitive. Ignorance is no excuse.

This is even up for Mallard Ducks. 2007 was a disaster at 1-10 for the new quacker on the block. In 2008 he has gotten payback for those 50 pt blowouts last yr.

Prediction is Oct. 31th 2008 the Cats of Charlotte West HS will open Duck season and throw down on duckmeat.

We understand the infamous Wertsky will play coy but hes on the duck wagon. He pulled for Indy 6 yrs in a row to whip his Lions until last yr. He is also on the Butler wagon and jumped off the Eag ride last week.

I love you to death, but I have to ask you this. Is your thinking Victory Chrisitan can win, let alone make the playoffs just wishful thinking? Yeah, they've won three straight, but they beat Highland Tech, Got Kids? and Mt. Zion. Mt. Zion has only beaten the AFC Rangers, Got Kids? has a punctuation mark in their name and Highland Tech just let a team hang 60 on them. So level with me Langston, for real or wishful thinking?

In the basketball previews you should have travis liner and jamal mitchell from Northside Christian academy on it. Put together they average 34 a game and both of them are coming off great summers with they aau teams and recieving D1 looks.With Cannon out there conference now and there skills getting better I think you should at least mention there names for players to watch in 2010 and in the MAC conference